Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 6Memorizing the Teaching

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

6. RECITING SCRIPTURE TOGETHER

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Vāraṇasī. At that time, a group of six bhikkhus gathered together with laymen in the lecture hall to recite the Buddha's scriptures, their voices loud and their tones high, no different from the sound of brahmins reading texts, thereby disturbing the mental composure of those engaged in sitting meditation.

Among the bhikkhus who heard this, there were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere practices, who were fond of learning the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse. They criticized the group of six bhikkhus: "Why do you gather together with laymen in the lecture hall to recite scripture, sounding no different from brahmins reading texts?"

At that time, the bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side, then reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon used this matter as a cause to assemble the community of bhikkhus, and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"Why do you gather together with laymen in the lecture hall to recite scripture, sounding no different from brahmins?"

The Blessed One rebuked the group of six bhikkhus with countless skillful means, then said to the bhikkhus:

"These are foolish men; they are a field for planting many seeds of the āsavas; they are the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, for ten reasons, up to and including the reason that the true Dharma may long endure."

Wishing to set forth the precept, it should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu recites together with one who has not received full ordination — pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

One who has not received the higher precepts: as in the preceding precept (that is, anyone other than bhikkhus and bhikkhunis).

Complete phrase, incomplete phrase, complete meaning of a phrase, incomplete meaning of a phrase; complete syllable, incomplete syllable.

—Complete phrase: reciting together with another person, neither before nor after the other, as in reciting:

—Incomplete phrase: for example, one person has not yet finished saying "Refrain from all evil deeds," and the second person repeats the phrase "Refrain from all evil deeds."

—Complete meaning of a phrase: two persons reciting together, neither before nor after the other, as in reciting, "The eye is impermanent. The ear is impermanent. And so on, up to: the mind is impermanent."

—Incomplete meaning of a phrase: for example, one person has not yet finished saying "The eye is impermanent…," and the second person repeats the preceding words, "The eye is impermanent…"

—Complete syllable: two persons reciting together, neither before nor after the other, as in reciting, "A-lā-bā-cā-nā."

—Incomplete syllable: for example, one person has not yet finished pronouncing the syllable "A…," and the second person repeats the syllable "A…" before it is finished.

—Canonical phrase: words spoken by the Buddha, words spoken by Śrāvakas, words spoken by sages, words spoken by devas.

If a bhikkhu recites together with one who has not received the higher precepts — one word, two words, three words — whether transmitted orally or transmitted in writing, all such instances, if clearly done, constitute a pācittiya offense; if not clearly done, a duṣkṛta offense.

Reciting together with a son of the devas, a son of the asuras, a son of the yakṣas, a son of the nāgas, a son of the gandharvas, or with animals capable of transformation — one word, two words, three words — whether spoken clearly or not clearly, all constitute a duṣkṛta offense. If the teacher does not instruct, saying: "Wait until I have finished speaking, then you speak," the teacher commits a duṣkṛta offense.

For a bhikkhuni — pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offenses: "I have finished speaking; now you speak." One person recites while the other writes it down. Or two persons of the same training recite together; or speaking in jest, or speaking hastily, or speaking alone, or speaking in a dream, or intending to say one thing but saying another. None of these constitute an offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the rule has been laid down, one who is mentally deranged, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is afflicted with pain, one who acts under compulsion.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1, 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002